The Evolution of Communication

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Author:	Mark D. Hauser
Published in:	Elibraryme Publishing
Release Year:	1997
ISBN:	978-0262-0-8250-1
Pages:	762
Edition:	First Edition
File Size:	16 MB
File Type:	pdf
Language:	English

Description of The Evolution of Communication

The Evolution of Communication nothing would work in the absence of communication. Flowers must communicate with bees in order for pollination to be successful. Male songbirds must communicate with females if they are to mate and rear young. Lions on a cooperative hunt must communicate with each other about how they will attack their prey. A human infant must communicate with its parents so that the needs of both are met. 
Great orators, such as Jesse Jackson, must use their communicative skills to captivate and manipulate the emotions of their audience. Computer programmers must design software to communicate with their hardware. And who knows, perhaps there are extraterrestrials trying to communicate with us at this very moment, although perhaps more successfully with some of us mere mortals than with others.
But why do birds sing rather than speak Mandarin? Why don't human infants scream and cry when they are content as peas in a pod. but coo and gurgle when they are angry. annoying, or in pain? And why doesn't Jesse Jackson simply convey his expressive skills by blinking his eyes? Morse code style? These are questions about design. and what is true of all communication systems that work is that they have specific design features. The design features of a communication system are the result of a complex interaction between the constraints of the system and the demands of the job required. Consider the traffic light. There are two sorts that I am aware of. 
The old-fashioned ones consist of red. yellow, and green lights that can be seen at any distance. but have the disadvantage that they are difficult to detect in bright sunlight. The newfangled ones often look as though they are dead when seen at a distance, but come to life when approached, regardless of lighting conditions. Thus both morphs have been designed to convey specific information about the flow of traffic. and the advantages and disadvantages of each relate to the constraints of the technology. For natural communication systems. such as those observed in the plant and animal kingdoms, constraints can be seen at several levels including neurobiological, physiological, and psychological. These constraints are important. for they determine the relative success of the organism is responding to socioecological relevant stimuli in the environment.

Content of The Evolution of Communication

Preface
Acknowledgments
1 Synopsis of the Argument
2 The Evolution of Communication: Historical Overview
3 Conceptual Issues in the Study of Communication
4 Neurobiological Design and Communication
5 Ontogenetic Design and Communication
6 Adaptive Design and Communication
7 Psychological Design and Communication
8 Comparative Communication: Future Directions
References
Index